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Quitting methods:

Thomas (66 year) - Nationality: USA - November 25, 2001

"I smoked for about 42 years. I had a heart attack when I was 38. I did not quit, and did not want to quit, until my chest started to hurt (lungs) and angina. I still resisted. When you start smoking at puberty something must happen to your brain. Stupidity, is, I believe the term coined for this malady. Finally, in watching other smokers quit, I began to feel the idiocy and to be highly self-conscious. Having to run to a designated smoking area, I felt as one of a herd. I had tied to quit using the following: 1- Keeping my smokes in a bandaid can with skull and crossed bones painted on the side, as suggested by a hypnotist, psychologist. I was NOT afraid to open it. Substitutes only remind you of your habit, DO NOT USE SUBSTITUTES. 2- Hypnosis $60/hr at the time, cost prohibitive. My habit was stronger. (My method was long term self-administered suggestion, self hypnosis or auto-suggestion. These are real terms, you will find in any book about hypnosis). 3- Self abusive language. I paid no attention to myself. 4- Gradually. At 1/4 of a smoke a week, it's too hard to keep track 5-Nicorettes. Godawful taste. 6-Patches. Come off in the shower after a month. All of this was, naturally, unproductive. It made me remember the thing I wanted to forget. YOU HAVE TO WANT TO QUIT. I had understood this for years but did not know what to do with it.. THAT WAS AND IS THE KEY, making myself want to quit. So I did it this way. I began by educating myself about smoking, but I knew most of the tragedies of smoking by then. I lost several family members. None of us knew about additives 50-60 yrs ago. I looked around at smokers and realized how pathetic smoking made them. I SAW MYSELF! I did not want to look that way anymore. I listed, mentally, the Bad and the Ugly. There are no Goods. Smoking costs. 900 packs a year, I could have invested that money. Health problems are expensive, is an understatement, more investment money. I began to notice that non-smokers do not stay around a smoker. I became ashamed of my habit that my mother so freely gave me. Mother had her share of sicknesses, and then some. So did I. Too numerous to elaborate. To the point. I began by telling myself... One day I would quit. I would not want another cigarette. I would not gain weight. It would be easy. Someday I would want to quit. Much emphasis on latter. After awhile it became automatic to say these and other things to myself at each smoke and some in between, and sometimes instead of. I did not try. I did not try to cut back. That only increased my anxiety of losing a long time part of myself. At this time I did not want to quit, I was only trying to prepare myself for that day. Sure enough that day came. It was so senseless to keep on and I believed that I could quit. It happened! I was ready! I said, quite angrily, "No more!" I DONE IT! :) After quitting: I made myself think of something else every time the thought smoking entered my mind. It became instantaneous in a few days. I thought of a smoke about a dozen times after I quit. My hand would automatically slap my breast pocket after meals. After that, there has not been the least leaning toward a relapse. Although I did fear it for a time, it has not happened, even through tough times. I have been smoke-free since 1991-2. I did not count days during this. DO NOT COUNT! It is too much the reminder of what you are trying to do, forget it as completely and as fast as you can. I am very healthy now. I have not gained weight. I feel better about myself for not smoking and more so that I could master the monster. I notice how smokers stink. I worked much better and liked to work through smoke breaks. I am retired, now, and 66. I had nothing to lose and so much to gain. My way took some time (?), BUT IT WAS 42 YEARS IN THE HABIT FORMING MODE. It felt good to write this and it might do some good. I sincerely hope so. Should I apologize for my long letter?....NAH! Wish there was a spell check on this site. I would suggest reading this often enough to realize the whys. If you do not recognize them or I have failed to make them clear, please contact me, I won't mind. If I can help any "one" I'll feel proud. I'll be waiting to hear from you in a few weeks or months. Do not worry about the time. If you feel anxious about anything in quitting (TIME weight gain, hating giving up-it happens etc.) relax, sit back, have another cigarette and tell yourself AGAIN about "someday I WILL... REV. 5, 11/01 I will not wish you good luck. Luck has nothing to do with it. Enjoy your new health. Thomas Poteet bligrdrv@netscape.net. I posted this... Speaker's Corner / Quitting Smoking URL: http://boards.fool.com/Message.asp?mid=13721496 Subject: Long term quitting. Easy! Date: 11/16/00 2:20 PM Author: bligrdrv Number: 16311 of 20421 "

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